The major national news media outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times and others are reporting that “Federal health officials on Tuesday called for a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, saying they are reviewing reports of six U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot among more than 7 million people who received the vaccine”.

Today FDA and @CDCgov issued a statement regarding the Johnson & Johnson #COVID19 vaccine. We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution.

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) April 13, 2021

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I’d like to stress these events appear to be extremely rare. However, covid-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of adverse events following vaccination very seriously.

Janet Woodcock, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (source: The Washington Post)

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According to The New York Times, six receipts of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine (ages 18 and 48) developed the illness within one to three weeks after being vaccinated. “One woman died and a second woman in Nebraska has been hospitalized in critical condition”.

Dr. Peter Marks, the director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the C.D.C., said in a joint statement “We are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution. Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare.”

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We have been working closely with medical experts and health authorities, and we strongly support the open communication of this information to health care professionals and the public.

Johnson & Johnson’s in a statement

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The CNN has following Updates (as of Nov 13 Monday) what we need to know about the vaccine, the rare clots and what happens next:

• Six cases after about 7 million doses: The six reported cases were among more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered in the US. Of the six cases — all of whom were in women between the ages of 18 and 48 — one person died and another is in critical condition.
• When the clots happened: With the six cases, symptoms occurred six to 13 days after vaccination, officials said today. The vaccine was authorized for emergency use on Feb. 27 and shots started going into arms a few days after, in early March. 
• How vaccine sites are reacting: Several states and cities — including Washington, DC, New York City and New Jersey — announced they would pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. CVS and Walgreens also announced they would immediately pause use of the vaccine.
• What happens next? It’s not clear how long the pause could last, but Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting commissioner of the FDA, said she expects the pause to be “a matter of days.” The CDC will hold an emergency meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices tomorrow to review the blood clot cases.
• What if I’ve already gotten the Johnson & Johnson vaccine? For people who have received the Johnson & Johnson shot, those who have developed severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider, according to a statement from the FDA and CDC. And remember: These adverse events “appear to be extremely rare,” the statement said.

• CDC and FDA recommend US pause use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine over blood clot concerns
• FDA, CDC call for pause in use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine after ‘extremely rare’ cases of blood clots
• The U.S. calls for a pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after rare clotting cases

The J & J vaccine, once dubbed as game changer, as an one-shot option for its convenience, and “states have deployed it in a variety of settings, from mass sites to targeted efforts to reach transient populations, such as the homeless”.

Paul A. Offit, a vaccine specialist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia told the Post “I think it’s the prudent thing to do. I think it’s real — this is a rare, but real association. They want to determine if this is the tip of a bigger iceberg.”

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According to the CNN, the new FDA and CDC announcement means “all federal health channels — mass vaccination sites, community health centers and the like — that were previously administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will immediately stop for the time being”.

No Adverse Events in MN

According to the Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm, out of 184,000 J & J shots given to Minnesotans, so far there have been no reported case event(s) in the state. Though reported rare, the fact they were identified underscores how well the nationwide reporting system for vaccine adverse reactions to the vaccine is working, said Malcolm.

“We do appreciate the thoroughness of this process. This is the way the process is supposed to work.”

According to the MPR News, Minnesota is also pausing use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, following federal guidance.